Earlier this year, I made a bold career move after working in the same place for years.

I knew that life as I had known it was going to change – and that was both a terrifying and exhilarating experience.

Fear is a powerful evolutionary tool – it keeps us from running headlong into danger. But it also holds us back. It keeps us from taking risks that can be beneficial to our personal or professional lives.

When I made the decision to move to my new position, it was a scary time. But I made the decision to embrace my fears rather than to pretend they didn’t exist. In short, I decided to approach my new job the way I do New Year’s Eve – as an opportunity to start over.

My New Job Fearless Resolutions are below. Feel free to use them yourself!

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help. After years of being at the same company, I knew what to expect from my days. Yes, every day had the potential for something unexpected – especially working in the field of risk management – but I knew the processes and protocols for my company. I set the policies for my department. I knew the key staff and their personalities. Going to a new company, I needed assistance from others to navigate my new workplace. And you know what? Asking for help created an opportunity for me to build new relationships and learn faster.

Don’t Be Afraid to Let Others Challenge You. We spend way too much energy holding onto our own processes simply because it is what we know. We become territorial and defensive if someone else makes a suggestion. But we need to welcome the input of others. It will make you a stronger and better professional.

Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes. Yup, you read that right. We are conditioned to believe that we have to be perfect. But the fear of falling short of perfection inhibits progress. You can spend hours analyzing every detail of your plan and coming up with pros versus cons. But sometimes, you just have to go out there and try something. If you make a mistake, figure out what needs to be changed for next time. A failure is only a true failure if you don’t learn from what it has to teach you.

Once I began to let go of some of my fears and living by my Fearless Resolutions, I began to fall in love with my new job and learned to love taking (calculated) professional risks more than ever before! I hope that happens to you. Happy Fearless Living!

 

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